Low Places
by chakramchaser
Summary: AU: Alex and Olivia cross paths in a school full of pompous blue-bloods, and they become fast friends. An ongoing fluffy story.
1. Chapter 1

The slight blonde slid into her desk, bending over the crossbar to set down her bag. She watched warily as others filed in around her, taking their seats. Everyone pulled binders and paper out and set them on their desks, chatting noisily as they waited for the bell.

When it rang a few minutes later, the chatter died down as a middle-aged woman in a corduroy suit stood and began to read names off a sheet.

"Timothy Adams…"

Timothy Adams raised his hand.

"Janelle Anderson…"

Janelle Anderson did the same.

"Rebecca Brown…"

Rebecca Brown's hand went up.

"Alexandra Cabot…"

"Um, just Alex…" the blonde girl said tentatively as her hand crept up above her head. The woman made no acknowledgement of Alex's comment, but she did make a mark on the sheet with a pencil before continuing down the list of names.

Alex looked around at her new classmates. She had been attending the James Monroe Academy since she was six years old, but the class lists were constantly changing. This was due largely to the copious amounts of money and demanding careers of the JM parents; they were either constantly seeking out better (i.e. more expensive) education for their children, or were constantly moving for their jobs. One of Alex's two good friends and her family had been relocated to Sheffield this year, and the other was on a Spanish language exchange in Madrid.

That is how Alexandra Cabot came to find herself sitting in her first class of her grade 11 year, feeling utterly bored and somewhat alone.

As the teacher, whose name was Mrs Fischer, began to introduce the study of The Grapes of Wrath, the heavy wooden door of the classroom opened and someone stepped inside the room. Alex looked up from her absent-minded doodles and studied the girl.

Her straight brown hair fell just past her shoulders and framed her face. Her skin was tanned. Alex searched her head for a possible heritage- Italian? Spanish?

The girl sighed and looked at the teacher, holding out a folded slip of paper. "Hi," she said. "The people at the office told me to give this to you…"

The teacher regarded the girl with suspicion as she opened the paper and read it. The girl tugged at the red bow around her neck, looking uncomfortable in the school uniform. Her red and blue plaid skirt hung just too far beyond her knees to look right, and her navy blazer didn't fit her slim shoulders.

"Alright, everyone," Mrs Fischer said after a moment. "Evidently we have a new student joining us. Please keep in mind," she spoke to the girl, "that tardiness will not be tolerated. Find a seat, Miss..." she glanced at the paper. "... Miss Olivia Benson."

The girl ventured into the sea of desks and found one about three over from where Alex sat. While Olivia organized her things, Alex returned to her doodling.  
It was not ten minutes later when Alex, in an effort to better see the blackboard, leaned slightly too far to her left and sent all her weight onto the bar attaching her seat to the table of her desk. The desk flipped, sending Alex and her books to the floor with a resounding crash. After a stunned moment of silence, laughter bubbled up from the throats of the class and the air was filled with sound.

Alex hurriedly righted her desk and sat down, her normally pale cheeks bright red and warm. She kept her head down and paid rapt attention to the rest of John Steinbeck's biography, and chanced to look up only once.

Olivia Benson was looking at her with an expressionless face. Her eyes, though, were smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex's books were deftly shoved into her bag and she hurried out of the English classroom, anxious to leave the embarrassment behind her. She took a right at the first washroom and entered.

The stalls were empty as everyone moved to their second class. Alex stood in front of the mirror, studying her reflection.

Her hair had been perfectly straightened and styled when she left the house that morning, but the fall had dislodged and mussed it. Alex considered this a plus to the incident- it now looked more natural and less like she was trying. Her minimal amounts of makeup were still functional, but the red bow around her neck was uncomfortably tight. As she moved to loosen it, she heard the washroom door open.

Olivia Benson entered, her blazer off and slung over her shoulder. She carried her bag in her hand and set it down roughly as she leaned up against the wall, then slid down to a seated position on the floor.

"Wow," she said casually. "And I thought that MY first day at school would be embarrassing."

Alex sneered, reaching for her own books. "Nice," she said. "Just don't expect to be making any friends with that attitude."

"No, no, wait..." Olivia stood. "I'm sorry. That really was stupid. How about this?" She stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Olivia Benson. It's nice to meet you."

Alex took it reluctantly and they shook. "Nice to meet you, too... I think." She raised an eyebrow skeptically. The bell went, and Alex sighed.

"So much for my first impressions," Olivia sighed. "I guess I'll be the tardy girl for the rest of the year."

"Better than the girl who falls out of desks," Alex said with a self-deprecating laugh. Olivia smiled tentatively, aware that Alex's pride was nowhere near healed. She picked up her bag and headed for the door.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around..." Olivia faltered.

"Alex," she supplied. "Alex Cabot."

"See you around then, Alex Cabot." Olivia smiled and left the washroom.

Alex was once again on her own, replaying the morning in her mind. This Olivia girl could be the best part of it yet.


	3. Chapter 3

The bell rang and Alex found herself at her locker before she knew it. She hurriedly opened it, shoved her bag inside and pulled out the brown paper sack that contained her lunch. She slid down the wall and stretched her legs out in front of her as she unrolled the bag and searched inside it for her sandwich.

Suddenly, a pair of tanned legs sheathed in white knee socks appeared to Alex's right. She looked up and found herself face-to-skirt with Olivia Benson. Olivia looked down and smiled.

"Hey, you," she said as she opened her locker. "How was second period?"

"Oh, you know," Alex replied as she took a bite of her turkey sandwich. "Boring. What else can you expect?"

Olivia shut her locker and joined Alex on the floor, opening a plastic shopping bag and pulling out a roll. "I had Spanish," she said as she ripped a piece of bread off and popped it into her mouth. "I think I kept up pretty well, considering that I've never taken it before."

"You're in Spanish 3 and you've never taken it?" Alex stared in shock. "Do you speak it at home or something?"'

Olivia shook her head, chewing her bread. "I don't speak much of anything at home," she said. "My mom's not around a lot. I picked it up from late-night TV. Picture Spanish soap operas with subtitles." Olivia dropped her food and clasped her hands in front of her, putting on a desperate face. "Pedro, por favor no me dejes!"

Alex snorted, taking a sip of her water. "Nice. Are you taking drama? Based on that, you could be the lead in the school play."

"Drama?" Olivia laughed, picking up her roll again. "Please. I'm going to do something productive with my life. How about… Archaeology?"

"Oh, come on." Alex finished her sandwich and moved on to her apple. "They don't do anything except find out what _was_. I want to find out what _is_. I'm thinking more along the lines of law."

Olivia chewed thoughtfully. "I can see you in law," she concluded after she finished her roll.

"You can, can you?" Alex smiled, trying to hide the pride that welled up inside her.

"Sure," Olivia said. "You've got a good personality for it."

"Forgive me if I don't take you seriously on this one," Alex quipped, "but you've known me for all of two minutes."

Olivia pulled out a fruit cup and wrestled with the top of it as she answered. "I know," she said. "But I'm pretty perceptive. You're serious, you're introverted, but you've got guts. I can tell they're in there somewhere… Ah! YES!" She sat with the top of the fruit cup in her right hand and the bottom of it in her left, triumphant.

Alex rolled her eyes in amusement. "With all your observation skills, you should be a spy. You know, save the nation from evil Soviet communist resurgences and lead a complex double life."

Olivia picked up a spoon, smiling. "I could do that," she said, digging into her fruit cup. "Or maybe I could be a detective. And we would be the ultimate crime-fighting team. They would make TV shows about us," she said as she popped a piece of peach into her mouth.

Alex looked at Olivia and smiled. "I like that," she said, sticking out her hand. "Do we have a deal?"

Olivia took Alex's hand without hesitation, and they shook.

"Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

"Shit…" Olivia whispered under her breath, desperately trying to pat out the small fire on her shirt. Alex turned around quickly to see if the teacher was looking.

"Stop, drop and roll! Come on, Liv!" she whisper-screamed. Olivia snorted and took Alex's blazer from where it hung on the back of a chair, put it over the small patch of fire and smothered it. A strong, acrid smell lingered in the air.

Olivia handed the blazer to Alex. "Thanks," she said nonchalantly. Alex's mouth hung open in disbelief. Olivia casually reached over and righted the overturned Bunsen burned that had been the cause of the small fire.

"Oh, your shirt…" Alex pulled Olivia closer to her so she could inspect the burned circle of fabric. At this, Olivia's face contorted.

"Oh god, what am I going to do?" she un-tucked her shirt from her skirt and rubbed at it, trying to see if it would come out.

It didn't.

"Come with me, I've got an extra shirt in my locker…" Alex looked over at the teacher, who was busy with a bubbling flask of blue liquid, and pulled Olivia quietly out the door.

The girls ran down the hallway as fast as they could, hoping that their absence would be short and unnoticed. At Alex's locker, she pulled out a neatly folded white dress shirt and handed it to Olivia.

"There, now go to the washroom and throw that one in the trash. Meet me back in class." Alex moved to return to the chemistry room, but stopped in her tracks when Olivia took off her shirt right in the middle of the hallway.

"No time," she said quickly as she donned the clean shirt and buttoned it up. She put her blazer back on, threw the old shirt in the trash and started to run. Alex stood, shocked, but found herself and began to run after Olivia. She couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculousness of what Olivia had just done.

They came to a stop at the doors of the chemistry room, listening for the teacher's voice. Hearing nothing, they opened the door and crept inside.

Upon closing the door, a harsh sound met their ears.

"Benson! Cabot!"

The girls cringed and looked at one another as Mr Smith approached.

"Yes, sir," they said weakly.

"Cabot, can you tell me what that is?" He pointed to their space of the common counter at the back of the room, which boasted neatly organized test tubes and a flaming Bunsen burner.

"Um… A lab station, sir?" Alex guessed.

"Mmmm, not quite." His eyes narrowed. "Can you tell me what the device that is currently spitting fire into the air is called?"

"A Bunsen burner, sir."

"That's right. And who do you see watching that Bunsen burner?"

"Um…" Alex's stomach dropped, realizing what he was getting at. "Nobody's watching it, sir."

"Exactly. You know that you must always attend your lab station. That earns you a reprimand. Both of you." Mr Smith looked pointedly at Olivia, whose cheeks were completely normal in stark contrast with Alex's pink ones.

"We apologize, sir," Olivia offered. Mr Smith nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now, head to the principal's office. Oh, and Benson?" He looked at Olivia and pointed to his own neck. Olivia looked at her own, and then at Alex.

In the hurry of returning to class, she had forgotten to do up her bow. That meant a uniform violation, which meant–

"Two reprimands, Benson. Watch your step." Mr Smith glared at the girls and retreated behind his desk.

Alex and Olivia left the room quietly, and walked to the office in complete silence. They took seats on the hard wooden bench, at complete opposite ends. Each girl was left to her own thoughts for the 5 minutes it took for the principal to show up. Her door opened with a loud squeak, causing both girls to cringe.

"Two students for you, Mrs Christie," a secretary volunteered. The principal turned to the bench and looked the girls up and down. She sighed.

"Alright, what happened?"

The girls were silent, until Olivia snorted. Alex shook, trying to hold in a giggle. Then, as they both caught sight of the other, Olivia squeaked with laughter. Alex exploded at the sound, which set Olivia off. Soon, the air was filled with peals of hysterical laughter.

"I'm s-sorry, Mrs Christie…" Alex wiped a tear away from her eye and began to laugh again. Olivia was bent over, hardly able to breathe.

The girls found that it was hard to be serious while in the company of friends.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello?" Alex said into the phone, putting her feet up on her desk.

"It's Liv," came the reply. Alex smiled.

"The reprimand slips got home alright?" she said in sarcastic concern. She heard Olivia laugh lightly on the other end.

"Oh yeah, they got home," she said. "The real question is did they get into my mother's hands…"

"I just got my dad to sign them in between phone calls," Alex explained. "He didn't even ask what they were."

"Lucky," Olivia whined. "I think I'll just have to wait until later tonight, when Mom'll be too tired to ask any questions."

"I hope it works," Alex said. "At least we know to be careful with fire now…"

Olivia laughed falsely and wrung her hands, sitting in her bedroom. The phone shook slightly in her hands, and her cheeks turned pink. She had to do this…

"Hey, Al?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Um, you know that extra shirt you lent me? I was just wondering… Would it be alright with you if I kept it?" Olivia squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment at the request, her face burning.

Alex pulled her legs down from her desk and sat up straight, now fully attentive. "Sure, Liv. Can I ask why?"

Olivia sighed. "It's just that I'm at James Monroe on scholarship… I only have one shirt now that the other one got burned, and I can't ask my mom to cough up for another one, so…" she trailed off.

Alex was silent, absorbing the information slowly. "Well, it's really no problem," she said after a moment. "I've got three others at home."

Olivia sighed, relieved to hear that Alex's tone of voice had not changed. "Thank you," she said.

"No problem," Alex reassured her friend again. Suddenly, she heard her name being called from downstairs. She turned her attention back to the phone. "Look, I have to go. Dinner… I'll see you tomorrow, Liv!"

"Bye," Olivia said quietly as the line went dead. She set the phone in its cradle and put her face in her hands.

She was lucky to have Alex, and the last thing she needed was her best friend freaking out because of the poor kid. Somewhere beneath all the doubt and worry, though, was a part of her that was confident in Alex.

Olivia chose her friends well. Alex wouldn't turn away from her.

She was more than that.


	6. Chapter 6

"Where are we going again?" Olivia asked, looking to her left. Alex sat in the driver's seat of her mother's Lexus sedan, eyes on the road. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore jeans and a red hoodie.

"It's a surprise," she said with a smile and a fleeting glance at her friend. Olivia rolled her eyes and settled into her seat, intently aware that this car had probably cost more than the yearly rent on her apartment.

The road underneath them was not well maintained, and Olivia found herself bouncing in her seat more frequently.

"Is this your idea of a good time on a Saturday?" she asked Alex jokingly. "You go driving on bumpy roads for kicks?"

"It's not the road," Alex said, "It's what's at the end of the road…"

With that, she turned a corner and the road came to an end in front of a large red barn. Alex got out of the car and beckoned to Olivia. "Come on, Liv," she called. "I hope you wore your rubber boots!"

Olivia opened the door and the classic barn smell assaulted her senses. She laughed. "It smells like summer at my grandpa's," she said. Alex smiled and dug her hands into her pockets.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go." Alex turned and headed for the doors, while Olivia jogged to catch up.

The inside of the barn was spacious. There was no ceiling, only the roof high above Alex and Olivia's heads. There were stalls on either side of a wide cement walkway. Most were empty, but Olivia counted five horses through the bars of the wooden doors.

"You ever been riding, Liv?" she asked. Olivia shook her head.

"Not seriously. Some summers my grandma would put me on a pony and lead me around the farm, but it's been a long time since then. Am I too young for nostalgia?" she laughed. Alex smiled and put her hands on her hips.

"No such thing as too young," she said. "Anyway, are you ready to meet Twinkie?"

Olivia laughed, blowing her hair out of her face. "Twinkie?" she asked incredulously. "As in the little plastic cakes?"

"Hey," warned Alex, pointing a finger menacingly in Olivia's direction. "Don't diss the Twinkie. They're freaking good!"

Olivia smiled and followed Alex to a stall close to the door of the stable. Alex unbolted and opened the door slowly. She walked into the stall, talking cheerfully to the horse.

When she led it out of the stall and onto the walkway, Olivia marveled at the animal. Alex stroked a beautiful golden horse affectionately.

"This," Alex said, eyes on the horse, "is Twinkie."

Olivia walked up to the mare slowly, and raised her hand to stroke Twinkie's forehead. "Hey," she greeted the horse softly. "Oh, Alex, it's beautiful."

"Six-year-old Selle Francais, 17 hands, 83%… She's my baby," Alex's face glowed with pride, her tone softening. Olivia didn't know anything about horses, but somehow she knew that this was an exceptional one.

"How long have you had her?" she asked, running her hand down Twinkie's neck. Her hair was incredibly soft.

"She's been mine since day one," she said. "I remember my parents bought me a horse, Ambrosine, and they insisted I learn how to ride her. I did, and I fell in love with the sport."

"What happened to Ambrosine, then?" Olivia asked, looking up at Twinkie's face.

"We retired her to a breeding program. She died a few years back. But Twinkie," Alex said, "is still with us."

Alex walked to a wooden box in front of Twinkie's stall and pulled out a flat, circular brush. She began to run it vigorously over Twinkie's already shining coat.

"I was 10 when she was born, and I started working with her right away. My parents had to tie me to something to keep me from coming out here. They couldn't keep me away."

"I can see why," Olivia smiled, looking at Alex. "She's so calm, so docile…"

"She's a smart one, too," Alex said as she walked around and began to brush Twinkie's other side. "When she was three, we got a trainer for her. A year later, we were jumping."

"Wow," Olivia said as Alex put away the brush and unhooked Twinkie's bridle from the ropes on the wall.

"Come on, let's take her out to the field." Alex led the horse out the stable door, Olivia following.

A few minutes later, the girls found themselves leaning on the fence and watching the horse move about the grass.

"This year is going to be good," Alex said. "We can do so much more with her now that she's older. She's doing so well… She'll be competetive."

Olivia looked at Alex, who was gazing at Twinkie with a pleasant smile on her face. The relaxation and adoration in her eyes seeped into the air around her and set Olivia at ease.

"Hey, Al?" she said.

"Yeah."

"I'm glad we're friends."

Alex looked at Olivia, allowing a wide smile to creep onto her face. "Me too, Liv," she said. She gave Olivia a playful shove and they headed back to her car, laughing.


	7. Chapter 7

The rain came down on the windows hard, making loud noises as the drops smacked into the panes. Alex looked out into the darkness, watching the forks of lighting that periodically illuminated the sky.

It was one of those uncomfortably cool late autumn evenings, and Alex was clearly aware of her fortune. It was easy to take everything she had for granted, especially in a cloistered environment like James Monroe. She felt intensely grateful for the poofy leather couch she sat on and the television in front of her. She pulled her blanket close around her and settled in for another episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Her mother was upstairs, already gone to bed for the night. Her father was likely downing his evening scotch and doing a crossword behind the closed door of his study. It was just Alex and the TV.

Without warning, the doorbell rang. Alex stood up, approaching the door cautiously. With no peephole or windows to look through, her only option was to open the door a crack to see who it was. When she did, she immediately threw it wide open.

"Olivia?"

Olivia stood on the stoop, her brown hair wet and plastered to her face. Her clothes were soaked clean through and she was wearing a zip-up sweater slightly too long for her. A canvas backpack hung off her right shoulder, and her arms were wrapped around her body. She shivered in the cold.

"I need a place to stay tonight," she managed to say through chattering teeth. Alex moved forward and led Olivia inside with an arm wrapped protectively around her.

"Of course," she said, utterly confused but not about to ask.

She shut the door against the rain and pulled Olivia's bag off her back. Olivia took off her shoes and stood, shivering, looking at Alex. Alex guided Olivia to her bedroom, where she helped her strip off her wet clothes. Her heart clenched when she helped Olivia take off her shirt, her bare back covered with goosebumps and raindrops. She looked so broken.

Alex supplied her friend with a large, soft towel and directed her towards the bathroom. She heard the shower run for about two minutes before Olivia emerged, dressed in a pair of Alex's sweatpants and a t-shirt from last year's school basketball team. She sat on the edge of Alex's queen-sized bed and dropped her head. Alex sat next to her, hands resting in her lap.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" she asked gently.

Olivia looked at Alex, a neutral expression on her face. "Oh, you know. It's just my mom, she's having a bad night…"

They sat together in silence for a few seconds before Olivia's chin began to tremble. Alex moved one of her hands over to take Olivia's.

"Liv, it's okay," she assured her. A tear fell down Olivia's cheek without a sound before she sniffled, and then began to cry in earnest.

Alex pulled Olivia closer to her in a hug, whispering words of comfort. "It's okay," she said. "Just let it out. Don't worry, it's alright…"

Olivia's shaking body gradually stilled. She lay in Alex's arms, breathing heavily. Alex was patient, happy to stay there for as long as Olivia needed.

When she finally sat up and wiped her eyes, she looked at Alex.

"It's good to know it's okay to cry sometimes," she said weakly.

Alex's mouth twisted into a half-smile. "It's always okay, Liv. Whenever you need to, I'm here." Olivia smiled gratefully and lay down on the edge of the bed.

She was sleeping peacefully in a matter of minutes.


	8. Chapter 8

The ice crunched under Alex's feet as she approached the park bench where Olivia stood. She smiled at Olivia's hat, a multicoloured knit thing with a pompom on top. She pointed.

"Make that yourself?" Alex asked with a good-natured smile. Olivia tugged on the earflaps indignantly.

"As a matter of fact, I did. And guess what? You're getting one for Christmas." She smiled widely and gave Alex a playful shove on the shoulder. They began to wander the paths of Central Park, breathing in the cool air that comes with a first snow.

"I love this place," Olivia said. "Especially in winter. Nobody comes out here because it's too cold, but it's so much more peaceful than in summer."

Alex nodded in agreement. "If I bring enough clothing and a thermos of hot chocolate, I can just sit on a bench all day and look at the snow."

The wide expanses of the park were covered with sparkling white fluff, spreading undisturbed over the normally bright green fields. Here and there someone walked their dog or a child ran after a friend, but for the most part it was still.

"Winter is my favourite season," Alex said. "Spring smells funny, and summer is just oppressive."

"I hate fall," Olivia contributed. "The browns make everything look bad, and the wind picks up too much. But winter…" She stopped, grabbing Alex's arm. "Winter is perfect."

Alex nodded in agreement as they came to the clearing that was Strawberry Fields. Somebody had cleared the snow off of the Imagine mosaic on the ground, and little trinkets were resting along the lines of the design. In the middle, right above the central word, sat a small tub of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Olivia laughed.

"If I wasn't a huge Beatles fan, I would totally take that," she joked. Alex laughed and Olivia fell silent, studying the details of the mosaic. She couldn't imagine the scale of someone's impact on the world that would constitute memorializing their legacy in a park. She only hoped that she could make that big of a change for somebody one day…

A noise accompanied by a chilling feeling of ice melting down her back jolted Olivia out of her thoughts. She raised a gloved hand to the back of her head and felt ice in her hair. Whirling around, she gave a giggling Alex a grim stare.

"You are SO dead, Al!!" she screeched, reaching down and scooping up snow. Alex immediately took off down the path, anticipating the retaliation.

"Only if you can catch me, Liv!" Alex taunted, darting in between trees and narrowly missing being hit by a snowball that careened into a lamppost.

It was an hour and a half of running, laughing and snow-throwing before Alex and Olivia parted ways. They were tired, soaked and shivering, but neither had ever been happier.


	9. Chapter 9

Olivia glanced at the clock, which read 8:30. Her eyes went again to the door, which stayed closed.

Where was Alex?

She was never late, unless she was sick. She had spoken with Olivia on the phone the evening before, though, and she had sounded fine. So where was she?

Fifteen more minutes passed and the seat on Olivia's left stayed empty. The irregularity of the situation threw her concentration off, so she asked to go to the washroom.

The halls were empty, all the students in their first period classes. No doubt most of them were still sleeping… Students at James Monroe were very good at faking like they were paying attention, and the teachers were very good at overlooking it.

Olivia entered the bathroom, expecting it to be empty. When she saw a girl in the corner, crying over the sink, she stopped in her tracks.

"… Alex?"

She turned to face Olivia. Her blonde hair was dull, full of static and only hastily brushed. Her blue eyes were even clearer and brighter than usual, glistening with tears. The lashes above them were dark and stuck together with moisture. Rosy, wet cheeks made her look almost feverish.

"What's wrong?" Olivia approached her friend and took her hands. Alex's lips were pulled tightly closed, and her chin quivered. It wasn't long before she gave in and began to sob again. Olivia gathered her into a hug, holding her tightly and encouraging her to calm down.

"Take deep breaths," she coached. "Slowly. Just take your time…"

Alex managed to collect herself enough to speak with Olivia. "Twinkie's sick," she said, her voice broken and barely above a whisper. "She's really sick."

Olivia squeezed Alex's hand, remembering the look in Alex's eyes as she watched the horse walk around the field.

"Oh, Alex…" Olivia said. "I'm so sorry. I know how much she means to you." Alex nodded in sad agreement, another tear rolling down her cheek. Olivia sighed, dreading the answer to her next question.

"Will she be okay?"

Alex looked at Olivia, her eyes sparkling, and shook her head. "I don't know," was all Olivia heard before Alex started to cry again. Her sobs were less violent, less protesting. It was more like she had given in.

"She's got lymphosarcoma in her intestines or something, I didn't really hear…" Alex wiped her eyes. "But she's scheduled for surgery tomorrow. I have to wait at home."

Olivia sighed. "You can always call me if you get lonely," she offered. Alex shook her head.

"I need you with me, Liv."

"Okay…" Olivia nodded. She received a watery smile from Alex, who turned to the sink to rinse her face with cool water.

After she was cleaned up, Olivia and Alex walked down the hallway silently. When they reached the door, Olivia put her hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Hey, Al," she said. "I know you're worried about Twinkie, but don't give up on her."

Alex smiled. "I won't."

She opened the door and they disappeared into the class.


	10. Chapter 10

Alex opened her email warily, knowing that there would be nothing there. She needed something to pass the time, though, and checking her empty inbox would do just as well as anything else.

She was startled to find a message waiting for her, dated two days ago. It was from Camilla, her friend on exchange in Madrid. Alex hadn't heard anything from her since she had left in July…

Alex opened the message and read the black text on the screen. She learned all about how beautiful Madrid was, how all the guys were hotter, and how Camilla had found herself a boyfriend.

Never mind a "how are you", or anything asking after Alex.

Alex deleted the message frustratedly, seriously doubting that Cam would care if she replied or not. She spun herself around in her office chair, watching the walls of her room whirl by in a smooth blend of muted colour. Camilla had never been the type to think of others, she'd always been relatively selfish. Nevertheless, Alex couldn't help but feel irritated with her friend's complete neglect.

Especially, she thought as her heart clenched, with what was happening now.

Twinkie's surgery was the next day, and Alex was getting more anxious by the hour. She wanted so badly to talk to someone, to explain how bad she felt. Clearly, though, Camilla wasn't interested. In fact, Alex realized, she never had been.

The clock read 11:23 PM, and Alex's hands shook as she picked up the phone and dialed Olivia's number. She didn't even have to wonder if it would pick up.

Olivia would be there.


	11. Chapter 11

Alex clutched the phone in her hands as she stared blankly ahead. The television was on, playing some satirical news show, but neither she nor Olivia were paying much attention. Olivia sat on the same couch as Alex, curled up under a blanket at the other end. She observed her friend's furrowed brow.

"You doing okay?" she asked, knowing that she answer would be negative. Alex sighed and looked over at Olivia.

"How long has it been since she went in?" she asked. Olivia checked her watch.

"3 hours, Al. We've got a while yet."

Alex nodded nervously and turned the phone over in her hands. Twinkie had been dropped off at the equine hospital earlier that day, and had gone under not long beforehand. The vet had informed Alex and Olivia that the surgery would take a few hours, and that they might do better to stay at home for the wait. Alex insisted on keeping the phone close so as not to miss any updates.

"God," Alex sighed. "If I ever have kids, Liv, I hope none of them ever get sick. This feeling is so terrible…"

"I know," Olivia answered. Her voice caught as she hesitated before continuing.

"Did I ever tell you about the time my mother hit her head on the coffee table?" she asked after a moment. Alex turned her head, her red-rimmed blue eyes searching Olivia's face.

"No," she said softly. "You didn't."

"Well," Olivia said as she slid closer to Alex, "I was five. She had a bit too much to drink…" Her dark eyes, normally so bright, seemed to dull with the memory. "Anyway, she tripped and cracked her head on the way down. There was blood everywhere."

"What happened?" Alex asked.

"We ended up at the hospital somehow, I don't exactly remember." Olivia took a deep breath. "All I remember is sitting in the waiting room alone with the image of her cut-up face in my head. It felt so scary, not knowing where she was or what was happening."

Alex put her hand on Olivia's, squeezing it affectionately. "Was she okay in the end?"

"Yeah, she was. It took seven stitches to fix it, though," Olivia answered. "And we were eating mac and cheese for the next four months to make up the medical bills. But she was okay." She looked at Alex, who seemed to have forgotten about Twinkie for the moment.

"Anyway," Olivia continued, "I was just remembering that feeling while I was waiting to hear about her. I hope it's not as bad for you tonight."

Alex gave her friend a weak smile. "Thank you for telling me that… It means a lot."

The two sat in silence, pretending to watch TV for the next little while. When the phone rang, Alex nearly jumped off of the couch.

"Hello?" she said into the receiver, the anxiety returning to her face and eyes. She was silent for a moment, her face going relaxed and empty. Then, she mumbled a quiet "Thank you" and hung up. Olivia looked at Alex, desperate for her to say something.

"Well?" she asked, putting her hand comfortingly on Alex's shoulder. Alex raised her head, her mussed hair falling from in front of her face.

"She's going to be okay," she whispered in awe. "They got it… They got the tumor."

Olivia smiled widely and nudged Alex. "That's good. That's good, right? She's going to be okay!"

A disbelieving smile crept slowly onto Alex's face as the reality sunk in. "I mean, there's still medicine and treatments and stuff… But she's going to be fine! Liv, she made it!" She started to laugh, tears of relief falling down her rosy cheeks.

They celebrated for a few minutes longer before the exhaustion of the evening set in and they settled down. They were finally able to concentrate on the television show, but neither of them cared now.

They had made it through.


	12. Chapter 12

The summer air was dense with the elation of the last day of school, but an enraged shriek cut through the silence suddenly.

"An 81?!" Alex exclaimed angrily. "The bitch all but failed me!"

"Don't you complain," chided Olivia as she scanned her end-of-year report card. "She gave me a 75."

"Well, _you _deserved a 75," Alex retorted with a scowl. She locked eyes with Olivia and they held each other's gazes for a moment before bursting out into laughter.

"Well, thank god I'm not taking chemistry next year," Olivia said as stuffed her report card into her backpack before exiting the school. She eagerly ripped off the red bow and unbuttoned her shirt from around her neck, sighing as the light June breeze made contact with her skin.

"It feels so good knowing that I won't be tying this thing around my neck for another two months," Alex said as she removed her own bow.

"Tell me about it," Olivia laughed. "I can't wait to go back to jeans and a t-shirt every day."

The two friends walked slowly down the street, towards their usual patch of grass in Central Park. A silence fell over them, rustling leaves filling the space where conversation would have been.

Once they settled on the ground in the park, Alex lay flat on her back and looked up at the clouds. Olivia studied her friend's relaxed expression.

"This summer is going to be great," she said as she ran her fingers through the cool grass.

"Mmm." Alex closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "The cottage will be such a nice change of pace from the city."

"What cottage?"

Alex sat up, her face suddenly full of anxiety. "Didn't I tell you?" she asked. Olivia shook her head, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Alex took a deep breath.

"I'm spending the summer up north in Muskoka," she said. "We're leaving on Sunday."

Olivia's face fell and she lay back resignedly and looked up at the blue sky. She was determined not to let her disappointment show too much.

Alex joined her on the ground, inching closer so that their arms touched.

"Liv," she said apologetically, nudging Olivia's arm. "I honestly don't know how I forgot to mention it before… I'm so sorry." Olivia looked over at Alex, whose bright blue eyes were glistening with shame.

Olivia sighed, returning her gaze to the clouds. "It's alright," she said, a hint of exhaustion creeping into her voice. "I know you've been busy, with exams and Twinkie's recovery on top of it."

"But that's not an excuse," Alex said, shifting into a partially seated position that forced Olivia to look at her face. "I should have said something. And believe me, I would much rather spend the summer here with you."

"Yeah," Olivia laughed bitterly. "I would rather you spend it here too."

Alex looked at her friend's dark eyes and knew that she would miss them over coming months.

Somehow the easiness between them took over the disappointment that they shared and they fell to cloud-watching. Unimaginable shapes presented themselves above the park, to be searched out and identified by eager pairs of eyes.

When they parted for the last time, their hug was tight and fast. The expanse of the summer lay stretched out before them, but it seemed empty and void of possibility.

Only the promise of September kept the light in their eyes.

**Author's Note: This is the end. It's been a good run, and thank you to everyone who's read so faithfully. A sequel will be in the works, so stay tuned!**


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